


Cast a spell (on me)

by Hopefulwriter



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Birthday Party, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 04:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17094299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopefulwriter/pseuds/Hopefulwriter
Summary: Chase needs a magician for his twins birthday party and finds Marvin perfect for the job.





	Cast a spell (on me)

**Author's Note:**

> This one was finished a while ago but I’ve been sitting on it because I’m no good at naming some of my fics, but I’ve decided to commit to the name I had thought and finally post it.
> 
> As always I hope you like it and let me know what you think!

~

 

 

Chase loves his kids. Loves them like nothing else, especially after his wife divorced him. The time that his custody has given him to see them is precious. The days out that he gets and when they come over for sleepovers are treasured. And because he loves his kids he wants to make their joint birthday memorable, you could say that he wants to outdo his ex wife but he would say otherwise, he just wants to make his kids happy. And if he does pull off a better party than his ex wife then that’s just a bonus.

So he decides to look around for a magician. He has everything else, rented out a space bigger than his sitting room and sub par kitchen, got streamers and pink and blue balloons and presents, and finally bought food. He looked around online for a well rated, child friendly magician. It took awhile but he eventually found one, called Marvin the magician, his ratings and feedback were the best out of the others he had found, he promptly gave him a phone call.

“Hello?” The voice came through after monotonous ringing.

“Is this ‘Marvin the magnificent?’” Chase asks, not wanting to hear that he has the wrong number.

“Oh! Yes, sorry, it is. I really should get a separate work phone,” Marvin self chastises, his voice sounds young, not the vision of an old bearded magician that Chase had thought. “Is this for a booking?” He inquires.

“Yes, a children’s party,” Chase says, feeling stupid after he’s said it because Marvin is a children’s entertainer. Chase then rattles off the date and location. “would you be able to do then?” He asks.

“That’s perfect, I’ll let you decide the payment, as long as you do we’ll have no problems,” he says, sounding easygoing.

“I won’t make you hunt me down for it, promise,” Chase jokes, feeling comfortable doing so, for some reason, even though the man over the phone is a stranger.

Marvin laughs. “Yeah, I find it’s too much of a hassle. Anyway, I’ll see you then,” He promises.

He was flitting around and making sure everything was set up, not having any help thus far since Henrik was late. He was blowing up some more balloons before the doctor bustled in, “sorry I’m late! ‘Ze traffic ‘vas horrible,” The German excuses, his accent coming out stronger in his ruffled state.

Chase waves a hand dismissively. “It’s fine, just help me blow these up,” he says, handing Henrik a air hand pump and a pack of balloons, which the doctor takes and seats himself next to the other.

The food was set on a fold out table, a mix of pink and blue plates holding them. Balloons with the same colour palette strewn around and held down by plastic weights at the end of their strings. The small space looked nice, cosy but just big enough for ten year olds to run around in. 

He had gone to collect Emily and Mason, both of them excited all the way to the hall. They know that it’s a party, but they weren’t aware that it’s their birthday party, and were very happy once they walked in and realised, both of their groups of friends all there too, running over and hugging him with as much strength as their small body’s allowed, before running off and greeting their friends. He was standing with Henrik, watching his children proudly. “Thanks for helping me set up,” Chase comments.

“‘Ets no problem, I’m sorry I ‘vas late,” The doctor says. Before Chase can say anything he sees who he guesses to be Marvin walk through the door, the man is wearing a dark short sleeved suit jacket with long matching pants, a blue undershirt with the same short sleeves and a flowing cape, certainly striking and Chase wonders how he must be able to do some of his tricks with no sleeves to hide things in. “I’m guessing you’re Chase?” Marvin asks once closer, and once Chase nods the magician reaches a hand out to shake.

Chase takes it. “Yes, Marvin?” He checks, even though he can remember his voice from the phone. He’s much more, good looking, than Chase thought he might be, his face all sharp lines bright blue eyes, brown short on the sides hair and long, striking grass green on top.

Marvin laughs. “how’d you guess?” He asks, brushing a hand through his hair.

“I think it’s the cape,” Chase returns with a smile.

Marvin had then had to leave to set up some things, leaving Chase and Henrik alone once again, “you seem to like him,” Henrik says.

Chase huffs. “Well he’s going to entertain my kids, so I’ve sort of got to.” 

“‘Zat isn’t what I meant,” The doctor says, watching him in a way as to get his point across.

“I know what you meant, and no,” Chase murmurs, shaking his head for emphasis.

Henrik sighs. It’s a long suffering sound, “you know ‘zat I just want to see you happy, after everything.” 

“I know you do,” Chase finishes simply, walking over to see his kids. He plasters on a large smile which isn’t hard to keep after they notice him and both smile back. “How are you doing?” He asks, feeling like an overprotective parent.

“Fine dad.” They both echo back, watching him suspiciously.

“Good…” he replies, and notices that Marvin pops back into the door, finished with his preparations. “Hey, a little birdie told me that you both like magic,” he says rhetorically, having already heard them both talk excitedly about magicians and card tricks. They both nod enthusiastically, making him laugh. “Well there might be someone that wants to see you both,” he smiles.

They both explode into questions, asking who and what he means, and he pokes each of them on the nose for it. “Soon, I promise.” He says and leaves them with small pouts on their faces before they decide to be patient, going back to play with their friends. Chase walks over to the door, stepping outside and facing Marvin. “You’re ready?” He asks.

“Mm, there wasn’t much to do," he states, finishing with, “So I’m ready when you want me,” With a smile.

“That’s great, I’ll go inside, sit them all down and then I’ll call you in. If that’s okay?” He makes sure, not knowing what Marvin usually does.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Go and wrangle them," he jokes.

Once he has all of the excitable children sat in whatever way he could get them he calls, “Marvin!” And slips away to sit on a chair, watching along.

“Hello boys and girls! I, am Marvin the magnificent,” he declares with flair, striding into the room with his cape billowing behind him. Once he’s in front of the crowd of kids he asks the birthday boy and girl, “what are your favourite magic tricks?” 

Chase’s daughter insisted on pulling a rabbit out of a hat while his son said card tricks. Marvin quieted them both with a soft, “How about both?” He pulled a pack of cards out of nowhere and sandwiches it in between the palms of his hands. He proceeds to rub them together, all of a sudden decides that he’s done enough and lifts his hands away from each other to reveal two playing card origami rabbits, making the young crowd gasp theatrically, he displays them to Chase's children and hands them one each. 

Chase has never seen that type of trick before, he doesn’t even know how someone would do it and he makes a mental note to ask Marvin about it if he gets the chance later. 

Marvin continues on with mystifying tricks, entertaining the children with ease. The big smiles on Chases kids faces are worth everything.

The magic show finishes a little while later. Everyone moving over to the table to have something to eat, chattering happily about what they had just seen. Chase was expecting Marvin to leave straight away, but the magician seemed to decide to stick around for a while longer, which gave Chase chance to ask him his question. “How did you do that first trick?” He inquires after Marvin had come to stand next to him.

“I’m a magician, we never give away our tricks,” He smiles suavely.

Chase decides to rephrase, “Okay, how is it possible?” 

“Not to be narcissistic, but I’d say I’m a better magician than most. That and I make all of my tricks myself,” He explains, playing with the fabric around his neck that goes to his cape.

“I’d certainly say you’re better. You’re very good with kids too,” Chase praises, watching Emily play with the origami bunny.

“I should keep you around for the compliments,” Marvin chuckles, making Chase huff amusedly. “I’ve always liked kids really, I’ve got a different connection with them, I was glad that I got to be able to work as a magician.” His face goes soft.

Chases mind works without his permission, ‘he’s perfect, loves kids, kind and really good looking…’ Chase shuts that train of thought down quickly though. “There aren’t many people that could keep control of a room of ten year olds," Chase notes.

“We have an understanding, me and kids, if I can come up with something entertaining then they will enjoy it,” Marvin smiles, tone like he has a long kept secret.

Chase laughs, “certainly seems like it.” 

“Your kids are really cute, they’re twins right?” Marvin guesses.

“Mhm, they’re really good kids, especially with everything in the last year," Chase comments, not sure why he’s willing to divulge to the man.

Marvin’s brows furrow, “what d’you mean?”

Chase sighs. “Divorce, I don’t get to see them that often, so it’s a big change for them both,” He answered, jaw tight thinking about how much it must have affected his children.

Marvin gapes slightly. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t know. I’m sorry for prying, too,” he apologises.

Chase waves him off, reaching a hand to scratch his stubbled jaw tiredly. “Nah, don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault that I didn’t tell you,” he says. The silence stretches and Chase feels stupid for how far he put his foot in his mouth.

After everyone’s bellies are full of food Chase gets a present out of his bag for the children to play pass the parcel, playing and stopping music while they passed it around the circle, layers coming off one by one and sweets with them. Halfway through he noticed Henrik and Marvin talking and he mentally begs his friend not to say anything embarrassing. Though how much worse could his shame get?

The party is coming to a close, all the children slowly get picked up by their parents, tired but happy and leaving some presents as they go, to open on their real birthday tomorrow, but Chase indulges them by giving two small gift wrapped packages for them to open, both of them an action figure richer by the end, playing with them as enthusiastically as they can in their worn out states while Chase and Henrik clean up.

Balloons are deflated, streamers collected and loading what’s left of the food into garbage bags. Marvin seemed to have gone home, Chase glad but also not for his absence. All he had to do now was say goodbye to his kids, Stacy parked outside and waiting for them. He gave them both big hugs and sent them on their way to the car, bag full of presents and he waved to them as they drove off, melancholic smile on his face.

He goes back inside to grab his messenger bag and car keys, picking up one of the garbage bags by the door before he leaves, Henrik following and grabbing the other. The doctor shuts the door behind them, Chase literally runs into Marvin once he’s walked a few steps, his thoughts too preoccupied to notice the other, the bump taking the breath out of him for a second while the magician quickly apologises and takes a step back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you," Chase admits.

“That’s no problem, I wanted to speak to you anyway,” Marvin comments, and Chase can see Henrik walk off to his car suspiciously.

“What did you want to talk about?” Chase asks, putting the heavy garbage bag down.

“Henrik was telling me about something,” He confesses. “He was telling me more about your situation, and how lonely you get.” Marvin continues, and great, Henrik has told this guy everything. 

“Why would he tell you about that?” Chase asks, frustrated.

“I was saying to him at first, how unusual it was that I stay past my show, he asked me about that and I said that I, for some reason, felt different with you.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I know how this sounds, but when you told me you were divorced I felt, sort of, glad, that you’re single.”

“So this is a pity thing, yeah?” Chase asks, feeling exhausted. Marvin gives him a look and opens his mouth to respond, Chase puts a hand up to silence him. “There’s nothing else this could be. I’m not what someone would call desirable, almost thirty with two kids, divorced on top of that,” Chase laughs humorlessly, picks up his bag and begins walk away, not wanting to stick around to give Marvin a chance to admit that he’s correct.

Marvin grabs him around his arm, but Chase shakes his hand off, continuing to walk. “This isn’t about pity. I can’t imagine how bad a divorce can be, but you’re still being as strong as you can be, for your kids and for yourself, and someone that can do that is rare, and definitely desirable,” Marvin says, heart in his throat at the ability he has to hurt this man with his words. Chase stops. “I’m not exactly young myself either, and I told you I like kids,” He finishes, not wanting to let this man walk out of his life over a misunderstanding.

“You’re sure? Because I don’t know how I’ll deal with it if you’re not,” Chase says, feeling raw and he’s sure his emotions are written clear on his face so he stays with his back to the other, letting him make the decision.

“Yes," Marvin says without hesitation. “I’m sure.” And he’s telling the truth, of course he is. He walks over to Chase, the man seemingly stuck to the spot and puts his hand on his arm, turning him around. Chases expression was soft, with tears sticking to his lashes and Marvin, not knowing whether the other would be comfortable with more, opens his arms for a hug, Chase huffing a tearful laugh, falls into him.

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s it! Kudos and comments are always appreciated, and come give me ideas for things over on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Hopefulwriter_) or alternatively on [Tumblr](https://hopeful--writer.tumblr.com)
> 
> And I hope you have an awesome day/night!


End file.
